#098: How To Monetize Your Message [Podcast]

Do you have a message you'd like to get out the world, and you wonder if it's possible to get paid for it? It is possible, and it does take work, but not as much as you might think.

And on today's episode I'm going to show you seven simple steps to monetizing your message. Also coming up…

A travel app that I consider must-have.

How to know who is a real follower of Jesus, and who is not.

How to write blockbuster copy in 45 minutes.

Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

Thanks to all who have left a review of the podcast in iTunes. I'm going to start publicly acknowledging those who have done so, if I can identify you (sometimes the usernames in iTunes make that difficult.) This week I would like to thank: Doug 9999, Tom Page, Joe Taylor, Walter G, Wesley Wiley, ChurchBoy 77, “frequent listener”.

Meanwhile, if you would be interested in the possible one-day mastermind with me and 11 other people, where we make radical progress in your business… And if you're not just “interested” but you already know you want to do it, fill in this form. If it looks like you would be a good fit, I will call you myself. (If you just want the “details”, listen to the podcast. I explain all the “details”.)

Tip Of The Week

My top must-have travel app, Tripit. There are lots of travel apps available, and I have tried most of them. But this one is the hands-down winner that I was willing to pay money for. Here are three reasons why I really love this app:

No more cutting and pasting. Automatically create itineraries by forwarding confirmation emails to a special email address.

Copywriting Corner

Do you want to know the magic formula for writing copy that sells? Me too. The fact is, there is no such formula. There are frameworks, and I teach those. What's more, I use them. But the truth is the best copy comes from inspiration and creativity. Where do those things come from? That is the subject of this week's Copywriting Corner. John Cleese has famously said he doesn't know where great ideas come from, but he's certain they don't come from our laptops. I believe it's important to be open to, and fill up on, stimulating, exciting, interesting, moving, and varied experiences. To live life. To give your brain a chance to get away from your projects, so it can do your work. My best copy has never come from following a template or formula. It is come from a flurry of white hot inspired ideation. Yours can too. In the audio version of this show, I expand a bit on these concepts, but for the benefit of you text a files, here are some tips

Give yourself plenty of creative input for your brain to work with (TV, movies, real world experiences, books, and especially things that are outside your normal range of experience.)

Carry a notebook and a pen!

When one of those lightning strike idea moments happens, stop everything else and capture the inspiration in what I call “the vomit draft”.

Spiritual Foundations

How do we know who's a true follower of Jesus? Well, first of all, there is no “litmus test” they can tell us for sure if another person is “saved” or not. Only the Holy Spirit himself knows that for sure. So how do we know, with all the various opinions and doctrines and expressions of Christianity, who the true followers of Christ really are? I think Jesus himself gave us the answer. He said:

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 15:35

Feature Segment: How To Monetize Your Message

By far, the most frequent question I am asked is some variation of, “Ray, how do I start a business of my own on the Internet? Can I really make enough money to get by? Or is it just a scam?”

It definitely is not a scam. I know plenty of people who have made this transition. Of course some of them are quite well known, and have been clients of mine. Some are my friends, and I've been privileged to know a few who are household names. But more impressive, I think, are the people you may have never heard of who have done exactly this. People who do things as varied as teaching massage therapists how to run a business, or teaching how to grow your own medicinal herbs, or unique brand of artful photography, or even dog training… It is definitely possible to take your knowledge and experience, what you already know, in turn that into money.

Meanwhile, here are seven simple steps that will help you move closer to learning how to monetize your message.

First, you must decide that it's okay to actually do this.

Identify your “tribe”.

Hone your message.

Package your message properly.

Promote your message.

Profit from your message.

Ask, “what's next?”

We are at a significant point in history, unique and exciting. Every person is a media company if they want to be. For less than $100, you can have your own mini media empire. So the question is no longer access to distribution. The question is what will you do with it?

Ray Edwards is a world-renowned copywriter and communications strategist, writing for some of the most powerful voices in leadership and business including New York Times bestselling authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Tony Robbins. Ray is a sought-after speaker and author, hosts a popular weekly podcast, and blogs at RayEdwards.com.

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About Ray Edwards

My name is Ray Edwards (in case you hadn’t guessed that yet). I’m a copywriter and communications strategist, and I’ve had the privilege of writing for or working with some of the most powerful voices in leadership and business including New York Times bestselling authors Michael Hyatt, Jeff Walker, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Tony Robbins. I’m also a speaker and author, and host a popular weekly iTunes Business podcast.